When it’s all sun and cherry blossoms in Vancouver, it’s hard to imagine that a short 1.5 hour drive away you could be faced with snow - and lots of it. All over the trail and in your way while you’re trying to be active so you can justify drinking more champagne.  That’s why in the pictures below we look terribly under-dressed for such arctic conditions, just so you know.

On Friday, we decided to head up to Whistler and walk the Lost Lake loop trail with Whiskey. We packed the following essential hiking supplies, none of which are available at MEC:

• Tim Horton’s water – check
• Unfinished squares of Mink’s PB & hint of J chocolate bar – check
• Begging Strips for Whiskey – check
• Half a bottle of champagne  – check

Luckily, despite the lake’s frosty appearance, it was really quite mild out. Even luckier, our trained eyes spotted the perfect opportunity to chill our champagne with a quick burial in the parking lot snow drift. Here are instructions for a lovely day and night in case you find yourself in a similarly distressing situation:

First, dig a hole.

Second, place the champagne in the hole (bury it a little so other hikers don’t find it before you get back).

Warning: your dog will look highly unamused at being delayed.

Once the champagne is secured in its bed of ice, commence hiking.

If the road looks treacherous, take some time to ponder your options.

We suggest finding some grandfather’s beard in order to look more ponderous than usual.

Whatever you do, do not fall into the ice. It is, afterall, called Lost Lake for a reason. Chances are no one will find you.

Rest often.

When you finish the 5km loop, drink the champagne.  Don’t be afraid to pretend you hiked farther than you did. The champagne will taste better the farther you say you hiked.

Next, get a walk-in rate ($159/night; dog bed included) at the Whistler Hilton.  

Do not eat soup at the Mix at the Ric’s. Even if you are really, really poor and think soup will save you money, get the burger. Trust me.  

Finally, re-live your respective  pre-wedding parties like it’s 1999 at Buffalo Bills. 

Eat breakfast here if you care about things like bacon and hashbrown (and you should!).

Then, return home along the confusing new sea-to-sky (it’s so disorienting not to see the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal anymore) without ever once mentioning to your wife/girlfriend/buddy that she/he sleeps with their mouth open like a stoned caveman.

I am one of those lucky women who can say they married well. Very well.  Look how he saved me from falling over this steep and unruly cliff. 

Ok, maybe he didn’t save my life, but he made my life. Even better.

Today’s proof: a smorgasaboard of muffins delivered to my office (in-person) from Fratelli Bakery - the centre of all things good, Italian and buttery on Commercial Drive.

Thank you, love.

J

Love is not what I thought it would be. Less a certainty and more a strengthening. A muscle formed under skin. A firming up of the soul.

I love you husband.

Jen

I really can’t imagine a better wedding favour than our little army of piccolos. This is such a good idea. My mom called a liqour store and got a bulk discount on 70. Then, I ordered some custom tags on Etsy. It was the first time I ever saw people come back for their favours. Plus, we grabbed all the leftovers for our hotel room that night!

Onwards…Saturday night we took a long, winding ride through the British Properties and sat atop Vancouver to celebrate Jen’s birthday at Fraiche.  Here she is pictured at our wedding (ha! sneaky me!). Jen is in the royal blue dress, and her lovely husband, Matt, is to her right.

Unrelated…This cottage-house is for sale in Deep Cove for $599,000. I cannot buy it, but you or someone you know really should. It’s a dream. It smelled good. There is ocean right out your front window (not to skip over the pub, which is even closer). Yes, you should buy it and then befriend me.  Or, better yet, I will befriend you, with champagne – any day you like! I will never again buy property without carefully considering the view out of each window. I think what you see out of the windows of your home is part of your home. In the future, it will be my deal breaker.

Back to the wedding. I just love this photo. I do. I wish I were half as sultry in real life. Thank you Tobyn Ross. You take a mean still shot.

Jen

This gave me a good laugh today (via You are my Fave) in the way that true things are often the funniest.

True: Ash and I have made 2009 our year of NYCing.

Also true: Far trickier than making champagne-powered declarations is carrying out such resolutions without credit.

Yes, we’re on one of those miserable post-wedding cash diets. The kind of belt-tightening where you pretend Pellegriono is wine. Though, I guess the fact that we’re still buying Pellegrino is a sign of its own.

All I know for sure is that when one (or two, in this case) is poor, there must be music.

And movies starring Zooey Deschanel.

Or maybe both.

At once.

Cue: She & Him 

Every oppprtunity to drink a mimosa was seized.

The palace was oddly devoid of people, which made it easy to find pool-chairs and make Ash play fun games like Papparrazi/beach vacation.

I bought a funny greeen hat that made me feel like doing touristy things, such as writing love notes in the sand with my toe.

I formed a special bond with the ladies who blow their whistle while pouring tequilla down your throat.

Ashleah got very tan and hunky.

I couldn’t stop looking at the colours.

More colours.

I fell in love with a pier.

I got wrapped up in very important business.

And yes, I am happy to report, we danced on speakers.

All in all, the whole trip felt like this. That’s what being married to Ash feels like too.

Goodbye.

Well, this is it. My last blog post as Miss Hargreaves. 

Today, Bill, the Facility Manager at work (not to mention, the loveliest Scott you’ll ever meet – perhaps, even, a gift from my Nanny) – brought me a very offical nametag reading “Jennifer Wilson.”

Yes, I am beginning to feel like someone new.

I’ve written and erased about a hundred sentences trying to capture the sum of experience for this medium. But those thoughts will stay in the journal beside my bed. Instead, I’m taking Frost’s sage advice. 

See the door on my little atelier?

It says, Ferme. 

And if you’re lost enough to find yourself

By now, pull in your ladder road behind you

And put a sign up CLOSED to all but me.

Then make yourself at home.   

Here are your waters and your watering place.

Drink and be whole again beyond confusion.

Hasta Luego,

Jen

Like poetry, sometimes places or people ring true in the depths of you. And that is how you know.

It’s how I know one day I must go to Little Sparta’s Garden so my soul can keep growing.

It’s how I know to marry Ash this weekend and claim my glimpse of the sea.

And it’s how friends know to send notes like this one on the eve of a life:

“Work must be KILLING you this week. All my good hair/skin/nail thoughts are with you. I just ate some salmon and dedicated all the fish oil to you.”

Thanks, Alice.

Enough champagne to last a lifetime of Wednesdays

(and sometimes Sunday mornings mixed with Orange Juice)

Jen

And I can post a sickening number of headshots if I want to. And I do. We were looking through old photos last night (sipping on a tidy, piccolo of Henkell) and we found so many pictures of us that we haven’t seen in ages. Do other people like to sit at the kitchen table and watch flickr slideshows of their trips? Is that normal?

Oh Paris! I am busty in this shot! Thanks for the lift, Ash!

And, of course, my other true love. My eternal sidekick, Whiskey, who perfectly balances me in more ways than I can say. As excited as I am for Mexico, I already miss her. She loves her new dad.

And finally, my favourite shot from the summer:

Who doesn’t love a man who can appreciate a nice baguette?

Jen xo

I would love to write something not related to the next 5 sleeps.

But I can’t.

I’ve got one thing on my mind.

He’s tying his tie in the hallway mirror.

Jen

xoxo

PS: Photos of postcards contained in The Little Box of I Love You, currently for sale at Chapters for $15.95 and now, our guest book.